What are some of your intellectual interests?

Understanding how people work and learning about what leads to success and failure. There is a lot to learn from history and from what other people have done well and done poorly.

What is the most surprising thing you've learned about/experienced at U.Va.?

The quality of the other students here. It only takes talking to the person who grew up around the world, or started a charity in high school or has a successful web start-up to realize how truly exceptional so many students are at U.Va. It is as Emerson said, “Every man I meet is my superior in some way, and in that I learn from him.”

Describe one of your favorite learning moments while at U.Va.

My friend and I went to dinner with a homeless man on the Corner named Lubo. It turns out he used to raise wolves. It’s not that we gained any profound insight from this conversation, but that event was evincing and representative of the kind of unexpected, nontraditional learning experiences that this campus has to offer, should one choose to look.

What is your favorite memory of U.Va.?

President Sullivan’s inauguration, but it was also pretty neat to take my father’s class.

What kind of independent projects or individualized learning have you partaken in at U.Va.?

An independent study in globalization, from Josh Yates, and a web start-up from an entrepreneurship class.

Who is your favorite professor, and why?

Brendan Richardson—Venture Capital, in the Commerce School. Most all professors know their subject well, and many have practiced the trade. What made Professor Richardson stand out was that he understood the big picture and took the time to offer meaningful, thoughtful, and down-to-earth advice. I am very appreciative and indebted.

Are you involved in community service? How?

I am. I believe we have the capability and the responsibility to leave this University a better place.

What are your favorite things to do in Charlottesville?

Hiking in the mountains, swimming in Blue Hole, and concerts at the Pavilion downtown. Tubing on the James is also a must in the summer.

For you, what marks U.Va. as different from other institutions?

This is comprehensively the best school in the country. Where else can you find the intersection of the quality of education, the beauty of the campus, the intensity of intellectual curiosity, the freedom of student self-governance, and the profoundly instructive social scene that exists outside of the classroom?

Where can you get the best food in Charlottesville?

Bellair Market, on Ivy Road. Take it from a local—their sandwiches are the best in Charlottesville.